And a One (Nashville)

Eric is celebrating his 40th birthday this weekend; what better way to spend the weekend than a surprise trip to Nashville, Tennessee!?  

We arrived to our Airbnb around 4:30pm, just in time for dinner and a show at the Ryman.

On our way to the airport we were gaining some inspiration by listening to the bluegrass channel, which happened to be aired in Nashville.  They mentioned that the Tennessee and Jacksonville Jaguars NFL game tonight may add to traffic tonight, and it did on all accounts.  When we walked into Puckett's Grocery Restaurant (at 6pm) there was a 30-40 minute wait, so we decided to order our food to go.  

We didn't get the ambiance, but we got the (fried) food.

Fried catfish.

Spicy fried chicken.

After a glamorous dinner under the stars we walked down the street to the Ryman ampitheater.  The Ryman is part of the Grand Ole Opry.  Started in 1925, the Opry holds the record for the longest running radio program (opry.com!)

Not only were the acts great (Larry Gatlin, Wade Hayes, Scotty McCreery, Carly Pearce and Pam Tillis) but we were non verbally told when to clap, and we listened to live commercials.  It was quite the experience.  There may not be a better way to experience a first three hours in Nashville.

Session musicians are so talented, and allow for the acts to quickly change without breaking down and setting up equipment.  

Eleven Glacier

After packing up we hit the road.  It is our last day in Montana... no more beautiful hikes!  Sob. 

 Raya and Josh, who know the area well, took us to a place that they discovered, Polebridge, Montana.

Polebridge is in the middle of nowhere yet it is famous for pastries.

The red dot is pointing to Polebridge.  We came from Apgar and were going to Whitefish for the day before our flight left out of Kalispell.    

They were right, the bakery was amazing, so worth the detour.  

It is a strange little commune. 

After we filled up on baked goods we headed to Whitefish.  Whitefish is a quaint town, full of restaurants and interesting shops.  But our sights were set on the Great Northern Brewing Company, as they have been our source for beer on this trip, and many good times.  

We did the tour, which cost 5$ and included a beer of your choice, which you could bring along with you on the tour.  They use gravity throughout their beer making process so we started on the third floor.  While the tour guide was talking proudly about how the brewery is the tallest building in town, I looked around at the view and noticed taller buildings while Eric noted the dial on the roof.  As it turns out the dial is connected to a weather vane, which gives it the extra height needed to make it the tallest building in town.   

Cheers to a great trip!

Ten Glacier

Today is our last day in Glacier.   The time went by way to quickly.  I have been wanting to go to Glacier National Park for years.  Knowing that this is one of those places you can't just keep saying, 'one day I will go,' because of the continuous decline of the glaciers.  If kept up, in 2030 I would be saying 'I should have gone,' and I don't like that thought at all. 

 So, we went. 

Today was an easy day for hiking.  A 5 miles out-and-back, starting with the Trail of the Cedars and continuing on to Avalanche Lake Trail (the trail isn't as doomsday as it sounds). 

Danger is our middle name.

Avalanche Lake.

Our hike ended at Lake McDonald, watching a storm roll over lake, wondering if it was going to hit us or miss us.  The weather in Montana is far from predictable, but the beauty is not.

Nine Glacier

Today was a day for 472 foot deep Lake McDonald.  I rented a paddle board and Eric went with a kayak.  There are plenty of options at Glacier Outfitters, but we played it safe and set up the rentals the day before.

Everyone was excited about spending the day on the lake.

9:30am-2:30pm just wasn't enough time on the lake so after we returned our rentals we paddle boarded some more, switching off who would use Raya and Josh's boards, one person has a beverage on the sand while the other paddles.  

Raya is the only one not paddle boarding, but you aren't drinking alone if you aren't alone... 

cheers!

Eight Glacier

 

We were waiting patiently for the best day to do Highline Trail (one of the most hiked trails in Glacier National Park), and I think we found it.  Not only did we have gorgeous weather (even though it did end with some rain), it wasn't overly crowded.

We were waiting in line for the first shuttle from Apgar Campground, so we were up there as early as possible without a car.  The free shuttles are nice, not only because parking can be difficult to find, but because we were able to do a one-way hike.  We hiked 12 miles, from Highline to the Granite Park Chalet to the Loop Trail, where we waited (very briefly, in the rain) for the next shuttle to Apgar.

Have I mentioned how amazing Glacier National Park is?

We didn't see any bears but we did eat lots of bear food (huckleberries and wild strawberries), and checked even more flowers off on our flower guidebook.

They look cute but as soon as you turn your back these little rascals are in your backpack searching for food, or worse, your food is gone.